Scope and Contents of the Materials

Gustav Groeber was a world-recognized Romance scholar and a Professor of Romance Philology at the University of Strassburg. His collection's greatest strength was Provencal and Italian literatures and linguistics; however, all Romance languages and dialects were well-represented, and many volumes of classical, English, and Germanic works were included. In addition to the book material, there was a large collection of dissertations and other studies in pamphlet form, representing nearly every brochure on Romance topics published in Germany during the period of 1880-1910.

Biographical Note

Born 1844. Died 1911. World-recognized Romance scholar and a Professor of Romance Philology at the University of Strassburg. Celebrated for the encyclopedic breadth of his interests, which were clearly reflected in the titles of the 6,367 volumes and pamphlets comprising his library. Widely known as editor of the <i>Zeitschrift fuer romanische Philologie</i> and of the <i>Grundriss der romanischen Philologie</i>.

While his library was strong in general linguistics and classical literatures, it was particularly rich in Provencal and Italian literature and linguistics. Because of Professor Groeber's recognized position as a leading Romance scholar, he received nearly every brochure published in Germany relating to Romance topics over a course of more than thirty years. It would be almost impossible to duplicate the body of dissertations and other studies thus accumulated. This unique collection nearly doubled the number of books in the University's Romance Library at the time, making it an important center of Romance material.

Administrative Information

Repository:
Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Acquisition Method:
Purchased for the Library by University of Illinois President Edmund J. James during a visit to Germany in 1912, according to a letter from Dr. D.S. Blondheim to Mr. P.L. Windsor dated June 5, 1912. Negotiations for the purchase of the library were begun through Assistant Professor J.B. Beck, of the University of Illinois, who had been one of Professor Groeber's favorite students.